Matson was so serious, it almost broke my heart, and Sofia looked up at me for help.
“You’re going to find your own girl to marry someday,” I said, but it seemed like little consolation.
“I don’t want to find another girl.” His expression clouded as he folded his arms and stared at the floor.
Sofia reached for his chin and tipped it up, then pulled him into a hug. “I know you don’t. But one day you will. Jess will always be your favorite aunt. Okay?”
“I guess,” he said sadly as he wriggled out of her arms.
I wanted to help, but wasn’t sure how. “You like Nick, right?”
“Not right now,” he answered honestly, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Okay, well, you usually like Nick, don’t you?”
He nodded and shrugged his shoulders simultaneously, still looking down.
“And you want your uncle Nick to be happy, right?”
Matson stayed quiet, and just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, a small yeah came out.
“Jess makes Nick happy,” I said gently, trying to explain, but afraid I was totally blowing it.
“She makes me happy too. So maybe we can both
marry her?”
Matson’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, and before either Sofia or I could stop him, he turned and ran off, headed straight for Nick and Jess.
Sofia looked at me with a worried expression. “I should probably take him home and put Hope to bed.” She reached for the baby and took her gently from my arms.
“I need to clean up and stay for a little while longer. You sure you want to leave without me?”
“I never want to leave without you, Ryan. But I’m exhausted.”
I pulled her close and kissed her as passionately as I could with our baby girl between us. “I’ll see you at home. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She rose up on tiptoe to kiss me again, then blew out a long breath. “Here goes nothing.”
She headed toward Matson, who was animatedly discussing something with Nick. I could only imagine what was coming out of that kid’s mouth.
Eavesdropping Old Man
Ryan
Once we’d closed the bar and only a few friends and family were left, I gathered up the last of the cocktail glasses. As I was washing them in the sink behind the bar, both Frank and Nick joined me to help dry and hang them up.
“Uh, thanks for whatever that was with Matson, bro,” Nick said, and I pretended like I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Huh?”
“The kid is in love with my girl. He said that the only fair thing is if we share her. We both get to marry her, and she lives with each of us off and on throughout the week,” Nick explained, and I burst out laughing.
“At least he had a plan,” Frank said, sounding impressed. “Nice proposal, by the way. You did good.”
“Thanks. And thanks for getting the whole thing on video, Ryan.”
“Of course. She was surprised, yeah? Didn’t see it coming?”